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Riding the Wave(s)

Despite being an island, Hong Kong is actually the furthest I’ve ever lived from a beach. Growing up surrounded by surfing culture, I’m accustomed to waves coming in sets, and to the variability of those sets; some sets arrive every fifteen minutes with only one or two waves, and others arrive every five minutes with ten waves in each set.

The reasons behind the variation are complex; a combination of the impact of wind and pressure, the length and width of the fetch, how centred swell focus is in a particular area and the depth of the ocean floor approaching the area. Like I said, complex.

Covid feels a little like that. In Hong Kong we are a week-ish into our 3rd wave, and honestly, it’s hard to wrap my head around. We’ve been distancing! And wearing masks! And the hand washing and sanitising – let’s just say any chance I had of being a hand model is long gone.

We are strongly advising people the work from home; gyms, spas and bars are closed again and restaurants have switched to takeaway only after 6pm. The 6 o’clock swill has arrived in Hong Kong after being abolished across most of my homeland, Australia, by the late 1960’s.

If I was optimistic during the first wave, and angry at the start of the second, I would say that I am approaching acceptance with this third wave. It’s taken me a few days to get to this – at first I was almost numb with resignation and fatigue. It’s a slog, and the dynamic political situation here makes it even more interesting.

The routines I revelled in during waves one and two have been adapted and I’m being more gentle with myself – I walk rather than run (it’s 32 degrees and 90% humidity outside!!), I’m doing pilates with my instructor on zoom having accumulated a room full of equipment, and have been getting takeaway coffee since “my” lovely little cafe is restricted. I buy flowers once a week to brighten up my apartment since I’m spending so much time here, and though I haven’t been conversing with them as frequently, my plants are very happy except for the parsley, who was always a little moody.

Above all I am grateful for the care and concern from my communities in Australia and across the world- it really means a lot.

While these aren’t the kind of waves that we’d intentionally “drop in on” we’re all riding them anyway. Only a surfer knows the feeling.

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messages

every thought that entered your head

ping

near filled me with dread

mute for an hour, mute for a day

overwhelmed with all you had to say

one hundred, two hundred, three hundred

texts

always telling me that you knew

best

reply in an hour, or maybe a day

did it matter, what I had to say

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Annanother post about working from home

Lots of people regularly work from home, so working from home for a few weeks shouldn’t be a big deal, right? 

Here in Hong Kong we’ve been primarily working from home since the lunar new year in late January, and before that had extended periods at home due to the protests. 

When you work from home for an extended period of time - and it’s not your choice - it can be more challenging than you expect in ways you might not expect. There was even a day where I caught myself talking to my plants. Yes, really. 

Here are some things we’ve learned.

Plan movement into your day, throughout the day

I know my tiny HK apartment is smaller than most Aussie homes, but when you work from home for an extended period you really notice how much incidental movement you have in the office. Walking to the kitchen to refill your water bottle, to the bathrooms or between meeting rooms, even the walk from the bus/tram/train stop to the office; these opportunities either stop or are different when you work from home. I live in fear of the “you didn’t close any of your rings yesterday, Anna. Do better today” alert from my Apple Watch. So judgemental.

Some ideas:

- Do your stand up meeting standing up - Plan to do one or more of your meetings walking. I have been known to go for a walk for 30 mins of Group Review, where I’m primarily in listening mode. - Put a reminder into your calendar to stand up and stretch, or do a quick yoga session. I’m a fan of this 5 min session: https://youtu.be/nQFf38xeBww

Build rituals into your day

Your home is your sanctuary, but it’s also about to be your workplace. For the next little while you might find it helpful to build rituals to define the beginning and end to your work day and work space. You might be fortunate enough to have an office or spare room that you can close the door on at the end of the day or, like me, you might be working at your dining table. 

Some things that worked for me:

- Setting up my work equipment at the start of the day, and then leaving my apartment and getting a coffee. When I’m at the cafe drinking my coffee, I’m doing my email catching up on and MS Teams, scanning the intranet and Yammer and generally getting in my work mindset. Then when I get back to my apartment it’s like starting my day in the office - a faux-commute! - At the end of the day I pack down my equipment, lie on my foam roller and undo any aches from sitting through the day and light a candle. All simple things that define the end of the work day for me.

Be purposeful in connecting

Something I really miss at home-the random chats. Bumping into people in the kitchen and having a chat, catching up while walking together to grab a coffee, or the random conversations across the desk when you just want to quickly check on something. I even miss the noise of chatter which is sometimes maddening in the office!

Some ways we’ve alleviated this here:

- We have a virtual morning tea every couple of weeks with our extended team. This is super informal, some might even say ridiculous, but it’s lovely to check in, see everyone’s faces and share stories of working from home. I think we’ve even got to know each other a little better with a literal window into each other’s lives outside of work. - Where possible, instead of sending an IM via teams, I call via video. - I make sure I have time during the week to think about what and who I’m grateful for. This is something that a colleague and I started a couple of years ago and even though it seems a little “fluffy” there’s zero downside. These days I make sure I put this into our corporate reward and recognition app.

It’s ok to not be ok

People across the world are experiencing a range of feelings about the current situation, and I’m sure we are no different. One thing that is for sure is that uncertainty can create anxiety and stress. Our bodies are not built to thrive under ongoing stressful periods. For me, the anxiety has shown up in ways I wouldn’t have expected - excuse the TMI, but I went to the dentist recently, and he told me that my jaw was really tight and it was impacting how well I’m cleaning my back teeth. Apparently he’s seeing this a lot! 

- We’ve all had our moments here in HK, where we might get worked up about something that normally wouldn’t bother us, or we’ve been a little snappy, or have withdrawn. It’s helpful to remember that we’re all doing our best and not to take things personally.

- When we can’t remove the source of the anxiety, one thing we can do is look at the things that are within our control: making sure our brains and bodies are best equipped to manage through the situation. Eating healthily (even though we might want to stress eat chocolate and drink wine) getting exercise and sleep. 

- Remaining connected with our communities, and being there for each other is important. One of my team members even bought me toilet paper! Accessing employee assistance programs can be helpful (it’s what they’re there for.)

  Lastly, it’s ok to talk to your plants. As another colleague pointed out, it’s only a worry if they start talking back! 

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Kung hei fat choy

One of the things I love about living in Hong Kong is the celebration of the lunar new year.

It’s a beautiful time where the city is in a celebratory mood and red packets (lai see) are given out to wish good fortune and prosperity, and a time to show your appreciation to those who provide you services throughout the year.  

I like to set new years intentions, and the lunar new year also give me a second chance to reset - particularly if I don’t quite hit the Julian new year running. 

Which, obviously, I never do.

I actually started out well. Infuriated by the inept government response to the bushfires at home in Australia and feeling  utterly useless, I reflected on my own actions. Certainly I’ve made some small changes to reduce my environmental footprint, great for assuaging my own guilt, but not particularly impactful. When I returned to Hong Kong, I moved all my accounts, including superannuation into institutions that have strong ethical frameworks, are member owned and do not invest or lend to companies directly involved in the fossil fuel industry.

My second goal for the year is to travel to places I haven’t been before. I travelled quite a bit in 2019, but mainly revisiting favourite places for the third or fourth time. This year I’ll be going to Barcelona over Easter and to New Orleans in November, and hopefully Muscat in Oman, if World War 3 doesn’t break out before then. Barcelona and New Orleans are both booked, so goal number two is looking good!

Both of these goals were reasonably simple to tick off the list - some online research, a couple of phone calls and clicking through a few banking and travel sites and I’m done.

My remaining goals require more consistent focus and effort.

In terms of physical fitness, but the end of the year I want to be able to do 100 push ups (on my toes) and I want to run a 5k fun run. For my mental fitness, I want to continue learning French through daily use of the Duolingo app, to learn Python through CodeAcademy and to write more frequently and consistently.

So far, both focus and effort have been sporadic. I’m sure I’m not alone in feeling that January 2020 has been the longest month ever. Between protests in Hong Kong, fires in Australia, coronavirus pretty much everywhere and then, the helicopter crash that killed Kobe and Gianna Bryant and seven others, it’s been a long, sad month.

So now February is here, and I’m ready to restart the new year. I’m giving up drinking alcohol for the month, which seems sensible after a few very - some may say overly - social months and have signed up for the Australian Writer’s Centre’s MOJO month to help spark some creativity. Let’s see!

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Mood

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“It all matters. That someone turns out the lamp, picks up the windblown wrapper, says hello to the invalid, pays at the unattended lot, listens to the repeated tale, folds the abandoned laundry, plays the game fairly, tells the story honestly, acknowledges help, gives credit, says good night, resists temptation, wipes the counter, waits at the yellow, makes the bed, tips the maid, remembers the illness, congratulates the victor, accepts the consequences, takes a stand, steps up, offers a hand, goes first, goes last, chooses the small portion, teaches the child, tends to the dying, comforts the grieving, removes the splinter, wipes the tear, directs the lost, touches the lonely, is the whole thing. What is most beautiful is least acknowledged. What is worth dying for is barely noticed.”

— Laura McBride, We Are Called to Rise  (via awelltraveledwoman)

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Annanotherthing’s updated Byron Bay address book

Stay

Byron Cove Beach House

I can’t rave about Byron Cove Beach House enough. I’ve been staying there for around 10 years now, and can’t imagine staying anywhere else. I mean- I’m on the website! On this most recent trip though, they went above and beyond- not only did I have a zillion online shopping packages delivered there ahead of my arrival, but when I got sick and spent and entire rainy day in bed, one of the lovely managers, Denise, cooked me dinner and brought it to my room because she was concerned I hadn’t eaten all day.

Eat

The Roadhouse

Great negroni, very good margarita pizza, excellent bar banter.

The Italian

High class Italian, great service, make a mean martini.

Three Blue Ducks at The Farm

Finally made it for the Sunday Roast and it did not disappoint. Two courses (it changes each week) with a glass of wine for $45 AUD.

The Treehouse

Casual neighbourhood pizza. Perfect for a Monday night.

St Elmo

Inventive tapas, adventurous cocktail list and read wine selections by the glass.

Bayleaf Cafe

One of the most popular brekky spots in town, I had the green bowl, with added bacon. Delicious brekky and a great spot to randomly bump into old pals.

The Belongil

When I am back in Australia I eat a ridiculous amount of bacon. Despite pork’s prevalence in Hong Kong, the bacon on offer does not compare. I indulged in The Belongil’s awesome bacon & egg (with it’s delicious chutney and baby spinach on a wholemeal roll) more than once. The coffee and the turmeric lattes are pretty good too.

Treat

Skin Divinity

I love getting Clear & Brilliant laser to rejuvenate my skin when it’s looking a little tired. I’ve struggled to find anywhere in Hong Kong that does this, so indulged while I was in Byron Bay at the lovely Skin Divinity spa. Almost a week later I popped back for a lactic acid peel, led treatment (they use the Healite II) and peptide mask. I now look like a toddler- you’ll have to take my word for it.

Tonic Massage & Osteopathy

I had two remedial massages at Tonic- one on arrival with Jo, who loosened up my office gargoyle neck and one with Rachel who bruised my butt and unlocked my hip flexors, which had shortened due to too much sitting.

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getting back to neutral

There are usually a few signs that I need a good break; I can’t shut my brain down at night, I tend to get sick more easily, I find myself getting irritated at things that usually don’t bother me, and most strangely, my chronic knee injury flares up.

Learning to anticipate this was a major lesson for me in 2016, and I’m getting much better at it. Feeling the threshold of my sanity approaching I booked a trip to Byron Bay for 10 days of “getting back to neutral.”

Of course, I didn’t manage to completely avoid the stress symptoms. My knee became a problem in the week before my departure, but three sessions with my physiotherapist sorted that, and on the fourth day of my trip I came down with a cold, which I took as a sign I should spend the day in bed.

While I was in Byron Bay I realised that the types of changes that made Newcastle feel unfamiliar to me are only curiosities there- the town still feels as much like home as ever. The Roadhouse has long been a favourite of mine for a Friday night dinner, with its super cool, chilled out vibe and great cocktail menu. On the drive to “The Roady” my Uber driver was talking about how good the pizzas were- and indeed they are terrific, and the vibe is still super cool and chilled out, but the space is bigger having taken over the old Bluesfest offices and the blackboard menu with its creative seasonal offerings has been replaced with a range of delicious pizzas.

Later in the week, some friends who had recently relocated from Hong Kong to Melbourne messaged to ask for Byron Bay recommendations, a happy coincidence that I was already there, and it was great to be able to share “my Byron” with them; cocktails at Balcony, shared dishes at St Elmo and introducing the wonder that is Three Blue Ducks at The Farm.

Perhaps “home” isn’t a place, or a person, but is the alignment of mindset, place and company where you are most authentically yourself?

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you can’t go home again

Photo: Bjeayes

Sometimes you can be reading a book that you’ve read a thousand times before and take note of a line or paragraph that you’d never noticed before, but for some reason it leaps out at you this time.

“I can’t go home without wanting it to be something it isn’t, and I don’t want to walk around with that much longing.”

(source: Preservation by Kate Canterbary)

A few months ago I had a quick trip back to Australia for my bother-in-law’s fortieth birthday in Newcastle where I had lived from ages 18 to 28. I have family in Newcastle, and friends with whom I’ve shared many of the experiences that made me who I am today and I don’t think I’ll ever get over the feeling of joy that comes from rounding the curve down to Memorial Drive and taking in the view from Bar Beach down to Merewether (see photo above.)

Newcastle has changed so much in the last ten years, in many ways for the better as the government has invested heavily in revitalising the town, and a fresh new wave of restaurants, cafes and stores opening up. It’s no longer the place I used to call home; there’s no Longbench on Darby St with its delicious rigatoni con pollo, The Hotel Delany where I spent many a Thursday night at trivia has undergone a major renovation and suburban shopping centres now dwarf their former selves.

It’s often said that your people are your home, and while in town I managed to see many of my family and friends, and we easily slipped back into our groove. My people definitely occupy a significant space in my heart, but the places they inhabit no longer feel like home. Before moving to Hong Kong I had read that once someone becomes an expat, the notion of “home” changes; perhaps this is just beginning for me. The places where I grew up are no longer what they were; but I don’t think that I am either.

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Annanotherthing’s Boston Address Book

Stay

Four Seasons Boston

Mark’s AirBnB in Beacon Hill 

Eat

Paramount

No 9 Park  

Sportello  

Deuxave  

Pomodoro  

Eastern Standard  

Scopa

Temazcal  

Drink

21st Amendment

The Red Hat

The Wine Bottega 

Do

Catch a game at Boston Garden: check out Bruins or Celtics, I got my tickets at stubhub

Off the Eaten Path food tours of the North End 

Boston Museum of Fine Arts 

Shop

Forty Winks 

Neiman Marcus at Copely Plaza (in addition to losing my jewellery I also dropped my Sisely moisturiser on the plane. I had a lovely chat with the lady at the Sisely counter at NM, and she gave me lots of samples and was generally wonderful.)

Newbury St, generally.

Whitney & Winston 

Read more about my Boston trip

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Boston

My first visit to Boston was only two days long. Enough time to become infatuated with the city, with a hint that deeper feelings could develop if only we had enough time. While there my friend Kate and I did the hop-on-hop-off trolley and ticked off the sights, so when the opportunity came up to return to do a course at MIT, I jumped at it, knowing I’d have time to get to know the city better.

Since that first visit, I’d stumbled across and devoured Kate Canterbary’s Walsh family series; a smart, salty (sometimes smutty, but in the best way) series about a family of Boston-based architects which is not only filled with the kind of dialogue I wish I could write (or participate in!) but is immaculately researched, to the degree that, on returning I really felt like I knew the city.

Canterbary’s Boston is not that of Denis Lehane, Whitey Bulger or tales of “Southie.” But the low  grit factor doesn’t make it any less real.

I huddled in the cold with the masses in the Public Garden at the March for Our Lives, protesting gun violence in America and afterwards knew that a burger at Paramount was exactly what I needed.

That night I wanted to treat myself to a fancy dinner, and the degustation at No 9 Park had me in seventh heaven. It also pointed me in the direction of Barbara Lynch’s other restaurants and I am still dreaming about the lobster gnocchi at Sportello.

On a snowy Sunday afternoon, I was looking for a bar where I could settle in and watch the hockey so took myself to 21st Amendment where Nick the bartender was from Pittsburgh and had the Penguins game on. Synchronicity!

I knew that Pomodoro in the North End was a place where space was at a premium so I got there early, and was rewarded with free tiramisu (if they do this for everyone, please don’t ruin my fantasy!!)

I treated myself to two nights at the Four Seasons hotel on arrival, and after a sixteen hour flight which culminated in my leaving my Tiffany & Co and Bulgari rings on the plane, I was thankful for the warm welcome and efficient check in that had me in the bar, glass of zinfandel in hand, within 15 minutes of arriving.

Later, I moved to an AirBnB and pretended I lived in Beacon Hill, wandering past Mass Gen to WholeFoods for groceries, stopping into The Red Hat for a beer and some sweet potato fries, and spending money on homewares for the Cape Cod weekender I’m never going to own.

I had a long lunch at Eastern Standard after spoiling myself with lingerie at Forty Winks in Cambridge and on my last night in Boston I took myself to Deuxave, where the Easter Sunday menu made my socks roll up and down.

After loving the walking food tour I did last year in Rome I was excited to join the Off the Eaten Path tour of the North End, led by the lovely Paula Taylor. Paula is the first to call herself a history nerd and she was so knowledgable about the history of the area, intertwining it with tales of the providors and restauranteurs we were meeting, and the food was, of course, amazing- cannoli and pasta and pizza and gelato and arancini and, well, you get the idea!

One of the stops on the food tour was at The Wine Bottega on Hanover St, a natural wine shop, and I returned later to a tasing of natural Spanish wines which was great fun, and very informative.

I watched the Bruins/Lightning game at Boston Garden and- controversial, I know- I think the atmosphere was better than that at MSG. Given, the Rangers aren’t so hot, and this was a top of the table clash. I was adopted by three lovely (happily married) gents who offered to grab beers every time one of them went and were chuffed to meet an Aussie who was into hockey- and were not condescending at all when we were talking about the game. Twitter dudes, take note.

The course at MIT awakened my mind when I hadn’t realised it had been dozing, and a visit to the Boston MFA stirred all the senses- I was lucky enough to see exhibitions featuring Escher, Murakami and early drawings of Klimt and Schiele. I feel like I could spend hours in the Boston Public Library reading room. I had ten days in Boston, and I was sad to leave. I can’t wait to return.

Annanotherthing’s Boston Address Book

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Paris, je te manque déjà

After landing at Charles de Gaul airport early in the morning and driving through the outer suburbs I felt a growing sense of homecoming and as I grew closer to the second arrondissement of Paris, a sense of burgeoning joy quelling my anxiety. That anxiety had been fuelled by the concern that perhaps after my three year absence, Paris and I would be unable to re-stoke the embers of our love. My concerns were unfounded. It was my first time visiting Paris in the winter and it was magical- snow had fallen the week before but had cleared, leaving the city crisp and bright, the Seine overflowing and sommeliers happy to recommend a heart-warming burgundy. With my friend Amy I revisited old favourites; Frenchie (Bar a Vin and To-Go) Cafe Constant, Poule au Pot and the O Chateau wine tour (followed by dinner in the bar) and I am thrilled that they are still at the top of my list of recommendations. We went to the shambolic Le Tambour and I had at least a years worth of onion soup all across the city. Wandered Le Marais, indulged in brunch at the newly reopened Holybelly, lost myself in the shelves of Shakespeare & Co and renewed my appreciation for the grandeur of Galleries Lafayette as I saw it through Amy’s eyes for the first time. We also went to the Moulin Rouge, which was an experience for sure, but not one I want to repeat. Some people think that coincidences have meaning- for me, they are often signals that I am exactly where I am meant to be. On my last night in Paris, I revisited my favourite wine bar, Frenchie Bar a Vin. I had come across Frenchie years earlier, when a friend who cheffed at my favourite Bondi hang out had put me in touch with Harry and Laura, two of the Frenchie crew who he had worked with at Fifteen in London. These guys had a side hustle- Paris Pop Up- which held an event that I went to at the now closed 11th arrondisement restaurant Bones. The chef at Bones, James Henry is an Australian who opened my favourite Hong Kong restaurant, Belon. When I was seated at Frenchie on my last night in Paris it was at a communal table already occupied by a bunch of Australians, one of whom was: James Henry. Small, small world. Annanotherthing’s Updated Paris Address Book To do O’Chateau Wine Tour To eat

Frenchie Bar a Vin, et Frenchie to Go

Poule au Pot

Cafe Constant

Holybelly

Le Tambour

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back to nyc (williamsburg edition)

I am incredibly lucky to work for a company that not embraces flexible working, but has offices in some of my favourite cities all over the world. It was this situation that enabled me to spend my birthday in New York on a whim, despite having very little leave left for the year! It was this trip that made me really reflect on how much my life has changed since I moved to Hong Kong. My life in Bondi was definitely not boring, but “going out” usually meant nights in wine bars with girlfriends home by midnight at the latest, compared to all day, all you can eat, all you can drink brunches that start mid-morning and occasionally span into the evening (with the odd 2 am finish!) This was my first New York trip that felt like a non-stop party. And it was my birthday, so why not? Annanotherthing’s Updated NY Address Book To Eat Juanchis Burger

We absolutely inhaled these incredibly messy heart-attack triggers before heading off to the Rangers game, and if I’d succumbed to said heart attack I’d have left this earth feeling satiated.

Delaware & Hudson

For my birthday dinner we splashed out a little at Delaware & Hudson in Williamsburg, a farm to table American restaurant with probably the most lovely waitress I’ve ever encountered.

Samurai Mama

On a Friday night after watching the Penguins dominate the Sabres through two periods from the “ambiance” of the sports bar down the street we then hustled to Samurai Mama to meet some of the work crew for sushi and udon. I can’t give you many specifics except to say I recall the food as being great and the sake plentiful.

Sweet Chick

The next morning, after a scant 4 hours sleep we rocked up to Sweet Chick on Bedford Ave and annihilated some ultra delicious chicken & waffles, with mimosas and bloody mary’s leading to a full day of drinking which was way less messy than it could have been, or should have been.

Pies & Thighs

The next morning, feeling way better than I deserved, we rocked up to Pies & Thighs for, yep, more chicken. Well, I had the chicken and it was great. Others ate other things but I had no capacity for noticing at this point.

La Superior

On our last night in NY following an expectedly terrible game between the Knicks and Orlando, and not looking forward to a 16 hour flight back to Hong Kong we consoled ourselves with some delicious Mexican fare at La Superior.

For more New York, click here

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Ciao, Roma

Despite the fact that he has been alternating between Bali and Thailand for his holidays over the past two decades, my father once- mildly hypocritically- accused me of being in a travel rut. This was in the back of my mind when I visited Rome for the second time; these days I was definitely exploring new terrains more frequently- would I still feel the golden glow of the Eternal city on my return? I arrived in Rome in late October, when the autumnal hue was in full force, the weather clear and sunny with a hint of the chill that was on its way as Rome experienced its first snow in twenty years in the February that was to follow. I stayed in the familiar, welcoming neighbourhood of Trastevere, in the same apartment I had enjoyed so much on my earlier visit, and it was wonderful to feel at home. Part of the joy of Rome for me is experiencing what feels like living history. I set off one morning in what I thought was the direction of the Campo de Fiori, only to stumble upon the Pantheon, again left with the feeling that Rome wears its modern touches a little uncomfortably. These are the types of thoughts that occur when you free yourself and indulge in wandering aimlessly, giving yourself the space and time to recover from the relentless scheduling, the lists of lists and the reconciliation of the day-to-day. I didn’t over plan this trip, indeed I scheduled only two tour events, both through the wonderful gang at Scooteroma: a 4 hour Vespa tour and the half day walking food tour. My Vespa tour was with the gregarious and knowledgeable Riccardo, who, on learning that I had done a similar tour three years earlier, switched things up for me and took me to see a whole load of Roman street art, explaining the political, geographical and cultural significance of the various artists and their works. There was also killer pastries and a truly excellent negroni. The walking food tour was easily the highlight of my visit. I genuinely felt that I was walking the city with a good girlfriend who happened to be exceptionally knowledgeable about Roman cuisine and its providores. I learned a lot, tried a bunch of new things (including suppli, a Roman street food) and by the end could order a gelato in Italian.

Photo: with the gorgeous Dominique Barbeau of Foodies in Rome

To answer my own question: si, I am more in love with Rome than ever. I learn more and love more about this city with each visit, and am already considering when I might go back again. If this is a rut, then it’s not such a terrible rut to be stuck in.

Annanotherthing’s Roman Address Book

To do: Scooteroma- guided Vespa tours of Rome

https://scooteroma.com/

Foodies in Rome- walking food tour of Roma

http://foodiesinrome.com/ To eat: The two best pizza places I found in “my” neighbourhood of Tratevere: Ivo a Trastevere - Via di S. Francesco a Ripa, 158, 00153 Roma RM, Italy, and Dar Poeta - Vicolo del Bologna, 45, 00153 Roma RM, Italy The most delicious meal I had (not on the tour) was at PianoStrada, which was a recommendation of Dominque’s. Reservations recommended. 

PianoStrada - 22, Via delle Zoccolette, 00186 Roma RM, Italy To Drink: Also on Dominique’s recommendation I checked out Alcazar Live, a super cool live music venue housed in a former cinema. The walls are decked out with shelves of books, and on the night I was there a super funky hip-hop/jazz/funk fusion band from New Orleans was playing, as I hung out with a bunch of kids from the US mid-west who had just arrived in Rome to train as Roman Catholic priests. You couldn’t make this up.

Alcazar Live - Via Cardinale Merry del Val, 14, 00153 Roma RM, Italy

[annanotherthing2]

#shelfie

Regular readers may have noticed that since I moved to Hong Kong I have been travelling a lot. In 2017 I travelled approximately 126,000 kms by air and in the 10 weeks since 1 January I have travelled from Hong Kong to Sydney twice, to Paris, and to Phuket with a trip next week to Boston and New York. 

In fact I am writing this (from a Boeing 747) By October last year, when I arrived in London, my face was literally falling off. Well, flaking off. Peeling, dry, irritated, red and itchy. The warning signs had been there for a while, in fact, when I arrived in Melbourne in early October I bought a Chantecaille soothing mask from Mecca Cosmetica which only irritated my skin further. My trusty SKII cloth masks- did me no good. On a whim, while waiting for my flight at Heathrow, I splurged on a slew of Sisely Paris products. I didn’t try to convert GBP to AUD and assumed a 1:1 rate so I wouldn’t stress over the cost. Within two days (and after my arrival on holiday in Rome) my face was restored. Was it the products? Was it the reduced stress given I was on holidays? Who knows? Either way, my face is in much better shape, and I can even use my very expensive Chantecaille mask without causing any inflammation drama. I just had a little pow wow with the female cabin crew on this flight and they use a range of products- Skinceuticals (I also use their Ferulic serum to protect from pollution) to Ultraceuticals to Kiehl’s. They also swear by cloth masks from mainland China and Korea. I’ll stick with my standby SKII, Sisely Rose Noir and Chantecaille. What are your tips for keeping your skin in top condition while travelling?

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London, still

I have long held an antipathy towards London that was undeserved. I’m not entirely certain what underpinned this. I think it was partly that my friends all undertook the mid-20’s pilgrimage that was leaving Australia to live and work in London and there it seemed that these disparate groups of friends, who I had held separate in my mind and life at home in Australia seemed to converge, meeting and enjoying each other, their lives becoming entwined. For them, I’m sure it felt that the world was expanding, but from afar it felt that the world, my world, was closing in on itself.

So it is that at least a decade after most of my peers had already done so, I took myself off to the motherland.

In truth, I only made the journey as a stop off on my way to Rome for a holiday- my company has an office in London and I have clients and team members there. Thought this was a good opportunity to connect with them, and if I’m being truthful, use us the worst of my jet lag while working leaving me - hopefully- in the right timezone for my break.

Of course, Robbie Burns told us, and Steinbeck showed us that the best laid plans etc etc.

But before I get into that, let me tell you, I fell in love with London. Happily I will be back next year to explore more thoroughly as my BFFs and I are going there to celebrate a (ahem) significant birthday.

Knowing this, and that I had listed free time, I didn’t explore as thoroughly as I usually would, but here are my highlights..

The Victoria & Albert Museum

I only had a limited time in London and the weather was surprisingly warm and sunny so I didn’t want to spend the whole time inside museums, castles, towers, you get the drift. However, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to check out the V&A, the world’s largest museum of decorative arts and design.

I spent an hour in the jewellery section alone. The Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion exhibition was brilliant and a wonderful companion to the 70 Years of Dior exhibit I had seen earlier in the month at the NGV in Melbourne.  

I also discovered a surprising interest in the Iznik tiles (below) from the Middle East Islamic exhibitions.

Lunching in a English Pub

After the V&A I decided to treat myself to lunch at the Admiral Codrington in Chelsea, a gastropub that came highly recommended for good reason

Wandering Brick Land and the Old Spitalfields Markets

Wandering through the chaos of Brick Lane on a Sunday morning, I wished I hadn’t had breakfast given the incredible array of food on offer. By the time I was hungry I had already wandered over to the Old Spitalfields Markets where I sat down at Taberna do Mercado, a Portugese restaurant recommended by a friend. I settled in and enjoyed by perfectly tender seared beef while I also devoured Rebecca Solnit’s sharply observed collection of essays “Men Explain Things To Me.”

Dinner at Frenchie Covent Garden

I’ve been a fan of Gregory Marchand’s Frenchie for years now and was excited to try his Covent Garden outpost and it did not disappoint. A week later I’ still dreaming of the more-ish bacon scones, exquisite duck breaks and decadent banoffee pie. 

My accommodation choices

For my free weekend in London I chose to stay in Shoreditch. I was promised a vibe of “young creatives, fashionable clubs and bars and eclectic dining” and it delivered. From here I was easily able to wander to Brick Lane and the Old Spitalfield Markets and uber (still operating in London at the time of publication) made it easy for me to get to the V&A.

In Shoreditch I stayed at the Ace Hotel which definitely delivered on the young and funky. From the lobby/bar/coffee shop (excellent coffee and food, terrible service) to the comfortable but still cool rooms, I was pretty satisfied with my decision! Oddly I was most impressed with the single back hand towel int he bathroom, with “make up” embroidered on it. I always feel guilty mucking up hotel room towels after wiping make up off my hands and face at the end of the day and this assuaged the guilt. Didn’t mean that the towel was any less dirty, just that I couldn’t see it!

During the week I transferred to the Mondrian at Sea Containers.  My office is located next to Tate Modern and the Mondrian was less that 10 minutes walk each day.

Here I didn’t exactly escape the hip, too cool for school vibe of the Ace. This was more, “cool for grown ups, but not *that* grown up” with Tom Dixon designed interiors, and the happy surprise of full-sized Malin & Goetz toiletries.

One thing I was really impressed by here was the menu, which was interesting without being too complicated. In particular it was great to see a breakfast menu that really catered for those who may have been away from home for some time and for whom room service was no longer a “treat” but an extra tyre around the middle. My trip to London coincided with one of my busiest weeks of the year and considering that I had 2 full days- starting from 4 am which meant I didn’t leave my room let alone make it to the office- the option of porridge made with water was a godsend.    

Annanotherthing’s London Address Book

Accommodation

Ace Hotel Shoreditch

100 Shoreditch High St, London E1 6JQ, UK

The Mondrian at Sea Containers

20 Upper Ground, London SE1 9PD, UK

Activities 

The Victoria & Albert Museum

Cromwell Rd, Knightsbridge, London SW7 2RL, UK

Food

Frenchie Covent Garden

16 Henrietta St, London WC2E 8QH, U

The Admiral Codrington

17 Mossop St, Chelsea, London SW3 2LY, UK

Taberna do Mercado

Old Spitalfields Market, 107B Commercial St, London E1 6BG, UK